Minute Taking Skills on How to Note Take and Produce Minutes
Most people struggle with minute taking and yet to be able to produce accurate meeting minutes, minute takers need to be skilled at note taking.
This is a pragmatic course delivered by a minute taker who has over 20 years’ experience of minute taking at both formal and informal meetings. This course will give attendees tools and techniques to work assertively with the Chair person to enable a smoothly run meeting.
The day contains plenty of practice to help take notes and practice in producing different styles of minutes. The course will also cover how to create minutes in an easy to record format.
This course will be tailored to your organisation’s agenda template and minutes template.
The course works well with a minimum of two attendees and a maximum of twelve attendees, however do get in touch if you have larger numbers.
Who should attend this course?
Anyone who needs to note take, and produce minutes of meetings.
By the end of the course participants will be able to:
- State the responsibilities of the minute taker
- Identify the appropriate position to sit in a room to take notes effectively
- Work with the Chair to help you take effective notes
- Be selective in recording information and note taking
- Identify how to interject for clarity
- Use a format to ensure key information is recorded on the minutes template
- Lay out information in a style suited to you
- Write the action points from the meeting notes
Minute Taking Course Outline
Introductions and Icebreaker
- Identify what each participant finds difficult about note taking and writing minutes.
- Ensure their concerns are addressed during the course of the day.
The Roles in a Meeting
- Discussion and Debrief
The Meeting Cycle
- Activity
- Discussion and Implications for the Minute Taker
Film Scenario 1 – The Poor Meeting
- Discussion and Debrief
- Options for the Minute Taker
Film Scenario 2 – The Assertive Minute Taker
- Discussion and Debrief
- Case studies
The Agenda
- What should be included in the agenda
- Classifying Information
- Using an objectives based agenda
Writing Minutes
- Style of minutes (verbatim, summary and action)
- Formatting the minutes
- Minutes template
Note Taking Practice
- What is note taking?
- Style of Notes – linear
- Note Taking skills
Film Scenario 3 – Note Taking Skills Practice
- Practice in how to note take
- Production of action Minutes
- Discussion and debrief
Notes Taking Practice
- Listening skills
- Note taking style – skeletal, being more selective
Film Scenario 4 – Note Taking Practice
- Practice in how to note take
- Production of action Minutes
- Discussion and debrief
Note Taking
- Speed writing tips
- Note style – mind mapping
Film Scenario 5 – Note Taking Practice
- Practice in how to note take
- Production of action Minutes
- Discussion and debrief
Expanding the role
- Writing a meetings brief
- Link to preparing for a meeting
Film Scenario 6 – Drawing up an agenda/Note Taking Practice
- Practice in how to note take
- Production of action Minutes
- Discussion and debrief
Summary
- Attendees to draw up the summary using skills from the course
- Action Planning and Evaluations
Minute Taking Course – Trainer Style
The day is a mixture of trainer input, discussion in small and main groups and exercises to practice the skills learned. The day should appeal to all learning styles.
The note taking practice will use video scenarios from the modern and real to life trainers resource ‘Minute Taking Skills’ by Development Films. During this course, attendees will experience an improvement in their note taking skills and ability to produce accurate minutes.
Clients
In-company clients who have benefited from this course include:
- Open University
- Dominos Pizza
- BICS – British Institute of Cleaning Science
- Lundbeck UK
- NHS Connecting for Health Southern Cluster
- Connexions
- Grundon Waste Management
- Agility Logistics
- Europol
- South Western Civil Service
- Learning & Skills Council
- Phoenix Software
- MCL Software
- GMPTE
- Care Principles
- ECMK
- Kettering General Hospital
- Datrix Training
- Surbiton Hospital
- University of Nottingham
- CEH – Centre for Ecology and Hydration
- Voluntary Action Oldham
In-company Minute Taking events are tailored to your agenda template and your minutes template, enabling the practice to be pragmatic. This speeds up the transfer of learning and builds attendees’ knowledge in how to note take, techniques in note taking and production of timely and accurate minutes.
We offer training in the following areas:
- Appraisal Skills (for Appraisers and Appraisees)
- Assertiveness Skills
- Coaching Skills / Coaching & Developing People
- Facilitation Skills
- Innovative Problem Solving / The Creative Manager
- Interviewee Skills
- Leadership Skills
- Questioning & Listening Skills
- Management Development Programmes
- Modular Management Programmes – team leader to Director level
- Managing Meetings / Running and Chairing Meetings
- Negotiating Skills
- Presentation Skills
- Selection Interviewing Skills – competency based interviewing / Recruitment and Selection
- Supervisory Skills
- Team Building
- Thriving Under Pressure – Stress Management
- Time Management
- Train the Trainer
